Sep22

Cooking in Diane’s Kitchen

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Sensei keeps giving me zucchini from his garden. I’m out of oranges in exchange, so I have to dig into my chocolate stash to make up for it. (I think that’s all part of his diabolical plan.)

Several weeks ago, Neighbor texted several of us in the ‘hood, yo!

To which I responded…

She laughed and said, “Okay, so that’s a no from you.”

I’ve breaded and fried the zucchini in bacon grease, I’ve cubed it and cooked it with ground beef, I’ve sliced it and tossed it in the pan with chicken, we’ve done zucchini bread–Mrs. Sensei makes it with nuts, but the only nuts in this house are human, so we added chocolate chips–but then…

TACO ZUCCHINI BOATS!

This recipe for taco (or pizza) zucchini boats from Diane’s cooking blog is SO good, you guys. I feel guilty because I kept eating even though I was getting full. But it was, again, SO good.

Follow the link for the steps, but here’s my time-lapse photography for you.

Slice, scoop, dry out a bit with paper towels.
Cook ground beef, drain, season, add tomato sauce, begin stuffing.
Keep on stuffin’. (And put in a sprayed baking dish.)
Everything is better with cheese. And to some, like myself, everything is better with cherry tomatoes from the garden.
Everything is better with even MORE cheese.
Finished product. Okay, so maybe they don’t LOOK like the most appealing thing, but trust me on this.

Here’s another one from Diane we made and DEVOURED:

I barely got a pic before it was all dished out. Also, I made some modifications, like the fried onions on one side, which turned out to be a plus.

It’s called Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole, and is a winner.

When we were traveling for a week-long family vacay last November, we made this one TWICE! (I’m all about the caps this post.)

It looks like a school project on mummification, but just stick with me here.

It’s called Pizza Bread, and I’m sure Diane is laughing at my pic because hers looked so much better:

We didn’t have dried basil at our Airbnb, okay?! Aaaaaaannnnddd perhaps we should’ve cooked ours longer. I’m guessing we were hungry.

Then there was…
Another non-Pinterest-worthy pic.

Italian Pasta Casserole. I mean, how could you go wrong?

And finally:

For this, I’m stealing Diane’s pic because mine just looked… less than stellar. It’s not you, it’s me.

But her Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetables was way better than I made it look.

So there are my recommendations for cooking In Diane’s Kitchen, but there is so much more to explore. I’ve bookmarked several other recipes I have yet to try, including for drinks and desserts.

Which of these dishes would you most like to try? I still have two zucchinis on my counter. Should I mail you one? 😉

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76 responses »

  7. I made it through all of Diane’s recipes and still couldn’t shake the thought of bartering “chocolate for zucchini”. Not in my world Betsy, or at best it would a tiny square of the good stuff per veggie (and I like zucchini!) Speaking of zukes, that beast in your petite hand may be the biggest one I’ve ever seen. Finally, go figure; the very last of Diane’s recipes – the only one without cheese – appeals to me most (and I LOVE cheese!) Good grief, I’m getting too health-conscious for my own good. Time to find me a Twinkie.

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    • Lol to needing a Twinkie, Dave. And, to be fair, I see no reason you couldn’t simply add cheese to that last recipe. Doesn’t cheese go great with just about everything? (I’m not so sure about Chinese food…) When it comes to the chocolate, I may need to turn in my female card. It tends to accumulate here because I eat it sparingly. I do definitely like it! But I’m more of an ice cream girl. 🙂

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  13. We have the WORST luck growing zucchini which is weird because everyone else in the world has it coming out of their ears. We got zero, nada, zilch this year and last out of numerous plants. Guess we will give up.

    Welcome to the world of zucchini boats on Pinterest! I’ve made a number of variations and they are always a hit, mostly with me since I do low carb.

    Thanks for making me hungry!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Sensei did mention he planted tons of plants, but a lot of them didn’t take, so It’s not just you.

      But maybe something is missing in your soil?? (I’m not much of a gardener. Just taking a stab at it.)

      I’m glad to know you’re already a zucchini boat fan! I have to try some other variations, like the pizza version Diane offers, but I’m still enjoying the taco version so much! 😛

      Sorry for making you hungry. :{

      BTW, do you follow Diane? She’s a fellow Buckeye.

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  16. I am so impressed Betsy!!!! These all look great, and yes you needed to cook the pizza bread longer. 🤣 A quick cook under the broiler would have browned it up too but who cares if it tasted good right? Thank you so much for the shout out with my recipes. 🥰

    Liked by 2 people

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  20. I used to shred or slice zucchini, put into freezer bags, flatten to 1/2″ thick, then in the winter I could break off chunks to add into different recipes. Also loved to make zuccini bread. Same recipe as carrot cake I believe.

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  21. I honestly think my neighbors give me zucchinis because they know I’ll make zucchini bread and give them some. I just might try those taco boats, if for no other reason than they use up a lot of zucchini fast. You look like a seasoned cook (get it?) with those dishes.

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  22. What is it about a courgette that just calls out to be used?! 😀 Sensei’s vegetable gardening skills are impressive and I had to laugh how you one-upped your friend on the courgette front! What a delicious set of recipes and your Zuccini Boat is a bit like the almond stuffed courgette which is a family favourite – even though my husband always declares he doesn’t like courgette (then gobbles it all up pronto!)😀

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    • Annika, thank you so much for introducing me to a new British word! I had no idea. I’ll have to work on my accent for when I smugly say courgette to Sensei. 😉
      Hilarious about your hubby. I believe he means he doesn’t like courgettes, except when you make them that way. If you try the boats, let me know what he says then! 😛

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